Eltham High Street Conservatives Newshttp://www.greenwichconservatives.com/rss.xml/160
Latest news from your areaenBoris back in Eltham to support Matt Hartley&#039;s MP bidhttp://www.greenwichconservatives.com/news/1839
<p><img height="166" width="250" style="width: 250px; height: 166px; float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" class="media-element file-default media-float-right" src="http://www.greenwichconservatives.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/Boris%20and%20Matt%20Hartley%20in%20Eltham%20High%20Street%202.JPG?itok=AbIQYPno" alt="" title="" />Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson visited Eltham High Street yesterday to give his backing for Conservative candidate Matt Hartley’s bid to become Eltham’s new MP. Johnson and Hartley, who is standing to overturn Labour’s 2,700 majority and win the seat back for the Conservatives, spoke to shoppers and visited business along the High Street.</p><p>As Mayor of London, Boris Johnson invested £2.8 million in Eltham High Street towards improvements to the public realm, which are currently under way.</p><p>Matt Hartley, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Eltham, said: “I was delighted to bring Boris back to Eltham to check up on his investment in our High Street. It was great to hear so many business owners are supporting me in this election. Like Theresa May, they know that we need to get the best possible Brexit deal to secure a strong economy – so that High Streets like ours can continue to thrive. “Eltham needs a strong local voice, and an MP who can help make Brexit the success that we all need it to be. The stakes at this election could not be higher – and I am looking forward to knocking on as many doors as possible in this final week of the campaign.”</p><p>Boris Johnson, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, said: “I am pleased to support Matt Hartley, who I think will be a fantastic MP – but also of course if we can get Matt in here in Eltham, that is the way to make sure we can deliver a fantastic Brexit deal for Britain. There’s only one person who can do that, and it’s Theresa May.”</p>Wednesday, 31 May, 2017 - 11:00Greenwich Conservativeshttp://www.greenwichconservatives.com/news/1839Business owners’ concerns dismissed as Eltham High Street plan is rejectedhttp://www.greenwichconservatives.com/news/1794
<p><img height="165" width="250" style="width: 250px; height: 165px; float: right; margin: 10px;" class="media-element file-default media-float-right" src="http://greenwichconservatives.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/Eltham%20High%20St%20Cafe%20SE9%20photo%20indoors%20-%20small.png?itok=qmkgJY3p" alt="" title="" />Conservative proposals to help struggling Eltham High Street businesses survive disruption caused by improvement works have been rejected by Labour-run Greenwich Council, with one Labour councillor dismissing businesses’ concerns as “blown out of proportion”.</p><p>Labour’s Councillor Linda Bird, whose Eltham North ward covers the northern side of the High Street, insisted at the Town Hall on Wednesday night that businesses were “pleased with the council’s support” despite a petition of around 1,000 signatures being presented calling for action to help the High Street cope with ongoing disruption.</p><p>The meeting saw Labour councillors vote down proposals from opposition Conservative councillors to introduce a time-limited business rate exemption, free parking and an advertising campaign to help stop High Street businesses going out of business as a result of the 18-month works.</p><p>After the Conservative motion was introduced onto the council’s agenda, Labour councillors used the final edition of its now scrapped Greenwich Time newspaper to promote a hastily-arranged coffee morning for business owners this Saturday (2nd June 2016).</p><p>Councillor Spencer Drury (Con, Eltham North) said: “I find it staggering that Labour councillors are so unwilling to listen to the real and genuine concerns of business owners on the High Street. We came to Wednesday’s meeting with constructive proposals as to how the council can help business survive plunging footfall and takings as a result of the disruption. Instead Labour councillors seem to think the answer is a coffee morning.</p><p>“Conservative councillors will continue to press for the real action that businesses need. I hope that the Council will take its head out of the sand and listen to what is actually going on – and help our High Street businesses before it is too late.”</p>Friday, 1 July, 2016 - 13:33Greenwich Conservativeshttp://www.greenwichconservatives.com/news/1794Eltham High Street “struggling to cope” during improvement workshttp://www.greenwichconservatives.com/news/1792
<p><img style="float: right; margin: 10px;" class="media-element file-side-image" src="http://greenwichconservatives.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/Eltham%20High%20St%20Cafe%20SE9%20photo%20-%20small.png?itok=j-bA6zrF" width="250" height="165" alt="" />Eltham High Street is “struggling to cope” during the ongoing 18-month improvement works, according to businesses experiencing significant declines in takings as a result of reduced parking, unnavigable pavements and traffic problems.</p><p>The news comes as Conservative councillors are set to <a href="http://committees.greenwich.gov.uk/documents/s48522/17.%20Help%20Eltham%20High%20Street.pdf">formally propose</a> that Greenwich Council makes a series of urgent interventions to help businesses survive the disruption caused by the current 18-month regeneration programme.</p><p>Hundreds of business owners and shoppers have also signed a petition calling on the Council to ‘Help our High Street’ by taking urgent action to support businesses.</p><p>Councillor Spencer Drury, whose Eltham North ward includes the northern side of the High Street, held a meeting with business owners at which he was told of the “devastating” effect that the works are having on smaller, independent traders. Examples include;</p><ul><li>The White Hart public house experiencing a decline of £2,500 in year on year takings for the week starting 13th June.</li><li>Cafe SE9 seeing the minimum take for a day drop by 40%, leading to the proprietor falling behind on her rent.</li><li>In common with other shops in the Eltham Arcade takings at Coffee Town have at least halved. As a result, Coffee Town have laid off one member of staff and Business Rates were not paid for June.</li><li>The footfall to the Greenwich &amp; Bexley Community Hospice Shop has dropped by 1,000 compared to the same quarter last year. </li></ul><p>Lesley Alkaner-Russell, the owner of CafeSE9 in the Eltham Arcade, said: “For me a 40% reduction in takings has resulted in me for the first time in six years of trading falling behind in my rent payments to the landlord and struggling to pay my business rates. Even shops which have been here years have never seen a fall in business like this and I'm desperate for the Council to help us as otherwise they'll be no shops left in Eltham High Street by the time the work finishes."</p><p>At Wednesday’s Full Council meeting at Woolwich Town Hall (29th June), Conservative councillors will <a href="http://committees.greenwich.gov.uk/documents/s48522/17.%20Help%20Eltham%20High%20Street.pdf">formally propose</a> a series of “urgent interventions” for Labour-run Greenwich Council to take to stop businesses going out of business.</p><p>Councillor Spencer Drury (Con, Eltham North) said: “It is heart-breaking to hear that these works – which are intended to bring more shoppers to the high street – are having such a devastating effect in the shorter term. I really fear for what will happen if Greenwich Council does not do something to help, and do something to help very quickly indeed.</p><p>“Thanks to investment from the previous Mayor of London, Eltham High Street is finally getting the attention it needs after decades of neglect. However, if there are no businesses left to see it, the transformation will have been pointless. I really hope that Labour councillors accept the Conservative Group’s constructive proposals to help our High Street survive the disruption.”</p><p>The measures will be proposed by Councillor Drury and seconded by Eltham South Councillor Matt Clare, who represents the south side of the High Street. They are;</p><ul><li>A time-limited business rate exemption for all Eltham High Street shops to be in place at least until the pavements are navigable again.</li><li>Introduction of free parking in Eltham while the regeneration works are going on, to be considered in the Sainsbury’s and/or Orangery Road car park.</li><li>An advertising campaign around the High Street to remind people that the shops remain open during the works. </li></ul><p>Local Conservatives last year branded the proposal by Labour councillor to cut the number of parking spaces on the High Street from 59 to 21 a “huge mistake”. After successful lobbying the plans were amended, but Conservative councillors are concerned that Greenwich Council is not taking an active enough an interest in how the changes are impacting on trade.</p>Thursday, 23 June, 2016 - 14:17Greenwich Conservativeshttp://www.greenwichconservatives.com/news/1792Council obfuscates over stopping of Eltham&#039;s clockhttp://www.greenwichconservatives.com/news/1739
<p>Eltham North Councillor Spencer Drury has continued to put pressure on Greenwich Council over its failure to ensure that Eltham's prominent church clock tells the right time.</p><p>At July's Council meeting, Spencer secured a commitment from the Council Leader that 'the door is always open' if the church requires support in making sure St John the Baptist Church clock is not to be permanently stuck at midday.</p><p>Councillor Drury’s question followed an article in July's <em>SE9</em> magazine (<em>Our Town Clock Stopped</em>), which reported that the Council had refused to fund maintenance of the clock as it has done in the past. Further research by Eltham Conservatives has established that the Council previously has undertaken regular servicing of the clock, but its last expenditure was in 2012, when £1,243 was spent on a service and some repairs.</p><p>At the same time as refusing to fund the repairs of Eltham's landmark clock, the Council is continuing to ensure that four other clocks are maintained, including the one at the Clockhouse Community Centre in Woolwich, which is well off the beaten track for most residents.</p><p>Councillor Drury commented: “The Council's decision to stop supporting £400 each year for a major landmark in Eltham is simply wrong. The Mayor of London is investing millions of pounds in Eltham High Street and the Council is prioritising a cinema, but basic housekeeping, such as ensuring the town centre clock works, seems beyond them. It is a real shame and shows a lack of joined-up thinking about supporting Eltham and its High Street.”</p>Thursday, 30 July, 2015 - 11:17Greenwich Conservativeshttp://www.greenwichconservatives.com/news/1739Conservatives Seek High Street Boosthttp://www.greenwichconservatives.com/news/1526
<p>Transport for London, which is chaired by Conservative Mayor Boris Johnson, has launched a consultation on its plans to increase the time drivers are allowed to park in stop and shop bays. The Mayor of London hopes that this will be a boost for local shops. The plans have been welcomed by the London Chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses who described it as “<em>sensible measure</em>”.</p><p> </p><p>The consultation is running in 19 London Boroughs, which include Greenwich. Both the Conservative Mayor of London and the Conservative-led Government have undertaken a range of policies to support local shops and the local high street; this is in sharp contrast with Labour controlled Councils such as Greenwich who plan to hike up parking charges in our high streets and have introduced a pavement tax which would have forced local shops to pay thousands of pounds a year to put items outside their shops. Further to this Secretary of State for Local Government Eric Pickles last month announced plans to ease restrictions on parking in order to help local shops.</p><p>Boris Johnson said “<em>Parking is a big concern for businesses and retailers in London. By extending the length of time that drivers can park at more than 600 locations, we can make it easier for Londoners to shop locally, and crucially, boost trade in our local high streets and the economy in the process</em>”.</p><p> </p><p>2014 Conservative Candidate for Blackheath Westcombe Thomas Turrell, who’s Grandfather was a shop keeper in Woolwich said “<em>The Conservatives are committed and focused on saving the local high Streets through policies such as sensibly reducing parking restrictions and not taxing local shops to put items outside</em>”.</p><p> </p><p>You can take part in the consultation by going to<a href="https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/streets/stop-and-shop-bays/consult_view" target="1">https</a><a href="https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/streets/stop-and-shop-bays/consult_view" target="1">://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/streets/stop-and-shop-bays/consult_view</a>. The consultation closes on the 16th September</p>Saturday, 24 August, 2013 - 17:20Greenwich Conservativeshttp://www.greenwichconservatives.com/news/1526Parking in Eltham and Boris’ improvements to the High Streethttp://www.greenwichconservatives.com/news/1138
<p>At the Highways Committee meeting in December (ironically delayed from the 1st to the 16th due to snow blocked roads) Eltham North Councillor Spencer Drury attended to speak about two items – the review of the controlled parking zones around the Eltham Centre/Station and the upgrading of Eltham High Street which is being funded by Mayor of London Boris Johnson.</p><p>The second item considered was a review of the controlled parking zone (CPZ) around the Eltham Centre in particular and Eltham High Street in general. Having conducted a full consultation (more than a year after it was due, but it did happen), the Council was recommending no change in Archery Road and Dobell Road (where residents were unhappy with the current situation) and change in Gourock Road and Elstow Close (where residents quite liked the Eltham Centre CPZ). Cllr Drury expressed his opinion that the proposals were nonsensical as they completely ignored what residents seemed to want – which made the whole consultation pointless. He informed the committee that many Archery Road residents seemed to want a change to the Eltham Station CPZ which covered the majority of the road, but this report did not recommend it. For the four roads concerned, the responses to the question ‘Are you generally happy with the operation of the zone?’ were:</p><p> </p><table align="center" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><p><strong>Road</strong></p></td><td><p align="center"><strong>Yes</strong></p></td><td><p align="center"><strong>No</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Gourock Road</strong></p></td><td><p align="center">19</p></td><td><p align="center">8</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Elstow Close</strong></p></td><td><p align="center">9</p></td><td><p align="center">0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Archery Road</strong></p></td><td><p align="center">14</p></td><td><p align="center">15</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Dobell Road</strong></p></td><td><p align="center">4</p></td><td><p align="center">5</p></td></tr></table> <p> </p><p> </p><p>In addition, local residents raised concerns over the situation in Greenacres which were reinforced by Eltham South Conservative Councillor Adam Thomas who asked for the report to be deferred for reconsideration. The Committee agreed, so the item on the CPZ will come back to the committee in the near future where hopefully residents will be able to make clear their views on the proposed changes to the controlled parking zones. </p><p> </p><p>The other item, which was greeted by general agreement and support, was the plan to improve Eltham High Street which is being funded by the Mayor of London. The plan has been refined in consultation with the Eltham Society and other local bodies but focuses on improvements to crossing areas at either end of the High Street (by Westmount Road and Well Hall Road). In addition, the plan will put a speed table into the junction of Archery Road, Orangery Lane and Gourock Road and improve lighting on Philipot Path. Cllr Drury spoke to support the improvement and to ask for a second speed table on Archery Road at the junction with Strongbow Road to be considered. </p><p> </p><p>Spencer said “The improvements to Eltham High Street seem to have garnered universal support and I am pleased that Boris is taking time to support Eltham following his visit earlier in the year. I am also pleased that the officers and the committee are going to take some more time to look at the proposals for changes to the CPZs as it seems to me that what they suggested did not fully reflect the wishes of the public in the consultation.”</p>Wednesday, 29 December, 2010 - 18:55Greenwich Conservativeshttp://www.greenwichconservatives.com/news/1138